Sports Broadcasts Holding The Line Against "Delayed Viewership" Incursion

With March Madness approaching the Final Four, sports viewers are among the last bastions of live TV viewers

NEW YORK, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Perhaps you've already heard, seen, read, or otherwise learned of the myriad ways technology now offers us to consume TV programming at our own convenience, regardless of when it plays on the cable, satellite or over the air feed. Perhaps you've even experienced some of these expanding options yourself. In fact, based on recent studies, chances are you have. But in this age where we can largely watch what we want, when we want, what special something compels viewers to consider one thing "gotta see it" and another thing "get to it when I get to it"? Apparently that special something... is a ball.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,276 U.S. adults surveyed online between March 13 and 18, 2013 by Harris Interactive. Full findings and data tables are available here.

Sports broadcasts maintain possession (of viewers, that is) When asked how they most often watch each of a series of TV programming types – with options including live, "semi-live" (recording but beginning to watch while still airing live), recording and trying to watch the same day or night, watching when they get to it or waiting until several new episodes can be watched all at once – strong majorities of those Americans who watch each indicate typically watching football (81% pro, 74% college), basketball (67% pro, 69% college) and baseball (69% pro) either live or semi-live. Over six in ten indicate the same for sports talk shows (63%), while awards shows (59%) are the only non-sports centric programming type achieving this distinction.

When those who watch sports and prefer to do so live or semi-live are unable to watch a game or event they're excited about in either of these ways, the question of whether to still watch it eventually comes down to a near photo finish, with the desire to still see it for themselves (53%) narrowly edging out the sentiment that if they can't watch it live, they don't want to watch it at all (47%).